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Delivering Government Procurement Policies by Colin Cram

March 14, 2013

In the 1980s, a TV comedy programme in the UK achieved very high audience ratings. Margaret Thatcher, the then Prime Minister, was an avid fan. It was called ‘Yes, Minister!’ and viewers saw the hapless government minister pitched against the civil servants, led by ‘Sir Humphrey’, who did their best to undermine any ministerial policy […]

When it comes to public sector procurement, how often does the media erroneously waive the “corruption” banner? by Jon Hansen

March 13, 2013

Right out of the gate I want to stress that I know that there is no Santa Claus or that the Easter Bunny will not be hopping his way into our home to leave sweet treats for the family later this spring. I say this as a means establishing the fact that I am not […]

UK Parliamentary Review into Government Procurement by Colin Cram

February 27, 2013

The Public Administration Select Committee is a UK Parliamentary body consisting of about 12 members of Parliament. Select committees are where much of the useful Parliamentary work is done. It has decided to examine government procurement. It is doing this through requesting written evidence from anyone who cares to submit any and through asking people […]

Horseplay in Food Supply Chains by Colin Cram

February 21, 2013

The week started off badly. According to a report in the ‘Times’ newspaper, I was born in the least romantic town in the UK, Scunthorpe. I guess I am fortunate to be alive. However, my gloom was lifted by a certain amount of horseplay. Firstly, the skeleton of King Richard III was pronounced genuine. He […]

Breaking News: Vendor’s efforts to sue government for $62 million as a result of losing bid understandable but misguided by Jon Hansen

January 26, 2013

A January 25th, 2013 article in the Ottawa Citizen by Kathryn May titled “The trial of his life” reports how “Bruce Atyeo has battled the federal government over a multi-million dollar contract he says bureaucrats steered away from his company.” While I empathize with Mr. Atyeo, he is misguided in his efforts to sue the […]

Women in Business Series: Persuasion, Influence and Authenticity – Are Women More Genuine Than Men?

October 23, 2012

Editor’s Note: The following is a reprint of a post from Roz Usheroff’s The Remarkable Leader blog. Given your response to my post Gender issues in buyer-seller relationships: does gender matter in purchasing?, I thought that you might find this to be an interesting read. In his book titled “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” Dr. Robert […]

Have you overstayed your welcome with your present employer?

October 2, 2012

Editor’s Note: Great post from Roz Usheroff’s The Remarkable Leader Blog. The other day I read an article in Forbes by Paolina Milana titled “5 Signs it’s Time to Leave Your Company.” It was an interesting piece in that it talked about the need to read the signs as it relates to whether or not […]

UK Public Sector Procurement News by Colin Cram

August 24, 2012

UK public sector procurement has been in the news the past two months. The Scottish government (no, Scotland is not an independent country, but it does have a lot of autonomy, rather like the states in the USA) has passed a bill merging its 8 police forces. A detailed business case concluded that merger, as […]

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA by Colin Cram

August 1, 2012

The bankruptcy of Stockton, California, is a stark reminder of what can befall cities that mismanage their finances. There are some similarities with Greece – making unfundable commitments to workers over wages, spending on ill-conceived projects such as the $35n spent on a city hall that remains unused and is now infested by rats, and […]